Adjustable shim for automobiles



G. G. BEHN.

ADJUSTABLE SHIM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY27. 1919.

1 ,32 11,081 Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

'- e. s. BEHN.

ADJUSTABLE SHIM FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27. 1919.

1,321,081., Patented Nov. 11; 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GUIDO G. BEHN, 0F

PAT FFTQE.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 ESSEX MOTORS, OF DETROIT,

MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. ii, 19119.

Application filed May 27, 1919. Serial No. 300,057.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, Gnmo G. BEHN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of \Vayne,State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inAdjustable Shims for Automobiles, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In the manufacture of automobiles, it is customary to place between theframe of the chassis and the sill of the body, shims composed of felt,brake lining material or similar materials which are s mewhat resilientand absorb the jar and vibration. The body is then bolted down on theframe. If the shimming has not been well done, the body will bedistorted by the pressure exerted by the bolts and will be injured. Thedoors will not close satisfactorily, and squeaks and rattles willdevelop. As is well known to those skilled in this art, there are alwayssome variations in the frame and sill so that shims of differentthicknesses are required at different points along the length of theframe. Since the sills of the body must rest on the frame of the chassiswith a substantially uniform pressure at all points and must be boltedrigidly to the frame of the chassis, the task of shimming up the body sothat it will rest equally at all points and when bolted down will not besprung or twisted, is one requiring skill, patience and the expenditureof a large amount of time. It has been found by long experience that theworkmen frequently leave the body improperly shimmed or loosely bolteddown so that trouble rapidly develops. This matter is one of greatimportance, particularly in themanufacture of high-grade automobiles andautomobiles having expensive closed bodies, the purchasers of whichexpect to'have the bodies remain in perfect condition without thedevelopment of squeaks or rattles.

My invention has for its object to provide an adjustable shim by whichvariations in the chassis frame or body sill may be easily compensatedfor and the body caused to rest with uniform pressure at all points ofcontact with the chassi frame. It is so constructed that it reduces toaminimum the time required for shimming up a body and the skill necessaryfor this work. It also provides means by which a new adjustment may beeasily and quickly made to take care of any wear which may haveoccurred.

The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novelfeatures thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claimsat the close of this specification.

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of the sillof the body of an automobile and of the frame of a chassis together withthe preferred'form of adjustable shim and body bolt embodying my1nvention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing another embodiment of my invention.1

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4, 1 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, at A is shown a portion of the sill ofthe body, and at B is shown a portion of the frame of the chassis. At 11is shown a member which is conveniently a hollow insert set in asuitable hole in the underside of the sill A and secured in place bynails 12. This insert has a circular central hole 13 through whichpasses the body bolt 14:. The body bolt 14 has a squared or othernon-circular shank a (see particularly 'Fig. 2), and a head' I) which iscountersunk so that it is flush with the upper surface of the sill A.The lower end of the bolt is screw-threaded as shown at c and passesthrough a hole in the horizontal flange d in the frame member B. Thebolt isprovided with a nut 15, there being a suitable lock washer 16between the nut and the frame flange d. The cylindrical insert 11 isscrew-threaded on its interior surface as shown at e and receives withinit a screw-threaded collar 17 provided with a square or othernon-circular hole 7 corresponding in shape with the cross section of thebody bolt 14:. This collar 17 is formed with a flange as ShOWII at kwhich has secured to its underside a washer 18 of some suitablecushioning material, as for instance, felt or brake lining material. Thecushioning material 18 is secured to the collar 17 by rivets 19 or inany other convenient manner.

In using my improved adjustable shim, the insert 11 and the collar 17 towhich is attached the washer 18 of cushioning material are securedinplace in the hole in the sill A, it being understood that theseadjustable shims are placed at the usual points under the body. The bodyis then placed on the frame of the chassis. The bolts 14 for each of theshims are then inserted and thecollars 17 raised or lowered by turningthe bolts lLby a socket wrench until each of the shims exerts a uniformpressure on the frame of the chassis. The nuts 15 and the lock washers16 are then put in place and turned up, thereby securing the body to thechassis.

If at any time, the body shows signs of becoming loose on the chassis ordeveloping squeaks or rattles, or if the doors do not close properly,indicating that the body .is out of line and is no longer resting evenlyon the chassis at all points, adjustments may be quicklyand easily madeby loosening the nuts 15 and-turning the bolts 14 until uniform pressureon the chassis is again afforded.

In the application of my invention, as shownin Figs. 3and 4., the collar17 is hollow as shown at g and may be made from a stamping.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with the sill of the body of an automobile and theframe of the chassis, an insert secured to the sill, an adjustablecollar provided with a layer of cushioning material and having anon-circular hole therein, a bolt of non-circular crosssectioncorresponding in shape to said hole, said bolt passing through saidinsert IsJaid collar and said frame, and a nut on said olt.

2. In combination with the sill of the body of an automobile and theframe of the chassis, an insert secured to the sill and screw-threadedon its inner surface, a screwthreaded collar therein having anon-circular hole, a layer of cushioning material secured to saidcollar, a bolt of non-circular cross section corresponding in shape tosaid hole, said bolt passing through said member ls)aid collar and saidframe, and a nut on said olt.

3. In combination with the sill of the body of an automobile and theframe of the chassis, an insert in the sill, an adjustable collarprovided with a layer of cushioning material and having a non-circularhole therein, a bolt of non-circular cross section corresponding inshape to said hole, said bolt passing through the sill the insert thecollar and the frame, and a nut on said bolt, the opposite ends of saidbolt and nut resting on the frame and sill respectively.

4:. In combination withv the sill of the body of an automobile and theframe of the chassis and an interiorly threaded member secured to one ofsaid members, a screwthreaded collar in said member, said collar beingprovided with a layer of cushioning material and having a non-circularhole therein, a bolt of non-circular cross section corresponding inshape to said hole, said bolt passing through said collar, and a nut onsaid bolt.

5. In combination with the sill of the body ofan automobile and theframe of the chassis, a screw-threaded member immovably secured to thesill or the frame, a sec- 0nd screw-threaded member engaging theimmovable member and having a non-circular hole therein, said memberbeing provided with a layer of cushioning material, and a bolt having ashank of corresponding non-circular shape engaging the sill and framerespectively.

ture.

GUIDO G. BEHN.

In testimony whereof I alibi my signa

